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Preserve Seeks Comment on Oil and Gas Plan of Operations

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comments on Nobles Grade 3-D Seismic Survey/Plan of Operations (Plan) to explore for oil and gas within Big Cypress National Preserve.

The Plan seeks approval to conduct a seismic survey over a 110± square mile area to identify subsurface geologic structures that may contain commercial quantities of crude oil and natural gas in the Sunniland Oil Trend. The applicant, Burnett Oil Company, Inc., proposes to conduct the seismic survey by using small, portable seismic receivers (geophones) and recording devices, which measure and record subtle vibrations in the ground.

No explosives will be used to create the vibrations or seismic acoustical signals, and there will be no ground disturbances from detonations. Instead, vibrations will be created using mobile plates attached to special off-road vehicles which are placed against the ground, vibrated, and then moved on to the next location. The source and receivers would be placed in a line grid to allow the applicant to map the subsurface geology.

The the plan may be viewed on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://goo.gl/pQMUvJ. The Plan will be available for public review and comment through July 17, 2015. Comments received will help inform the preparation of a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document which will itself be subject to public comment. Based on analysis of environmental impacts, the NPS may approve, request modification to, or reject the plan.

Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are encouraged to provide written comments through the NPS PEPC website. Comments may also be sent to the Office of the Superintendent, Big Cypress National Preserve, 33100 Tamiami Trail East Ochopee, Florida 34141 or entered in the PEPC system website. Copies of the Plan are available upon request by contacting Big Cypress National Preserve Environmental Specialist Don Hargrove by phone at 239-695-1150; via email at e-mail us; or by mail at Big Cypress National Preserve, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, Florida 34141.